Nepal & India

Welcome to Nepal

Your first 4 weeks will be spent in Nepal where you will explore and travel from Kathmandu down into Chitwan Valley and onto Everest Base Camp.

Arriving in Kathmandu you have a few days to acclimatise and experience the buzzing music spilling out of every street corner and an eclectic treasure of arts, culture and religion.

You will find streets filled with bookshops, markets, handicraft shops along with some the greatest cultural and spiritual world heritage sites in the world: Pashupatinath, Boudhanath, Swayambhunath, Durbar Square, Patan or Bhaktapur, and the lesser-known nearby towns that dot the valleys beyond.

Accommodation

Small hotels and guest houses throughout.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

A World Heritage Site

You will head out of Kathmandu and travel south to the The Royal Chitwan National Park, Nepal oldest National Park, found in the central Terai region of Nepal.

This region is a massive contrast to the Kathmandu Valley as it’s in the subtropical southern part of Nepal. Here you’ll find massive river plains and a steaming jungle hosting one of the largest populations of the rare Bengal tiger, along with the one-horned rhino and wild elephants that are best viewed on elephant-back safaris.

Here you will have time to:

• White water raft down the Trishuli River.
• Cycle to the elephant breeding centre.
• Visit Tharu village and see their famous Stick Dance.
• Canoe and jungle trek to track the wildlife.

The Green Heartland

In many ways the Kathmandu Valley is Nepal. Created by the sword of the Buddhist deity Manjushri, this natural basin is a patchwork of terraced fields and sacred temple towns that showcase the glory of the architects and artisans of Nepal.

The valley provides a green and lush base for medieval villages, centuries-old temples and sacred sites; while just beyond the valley rim lie the larger than life Himalayan range and the road to Tibet.

It is in one of these valleys where we have organised for you to contribute to a volunteering project in an orphanage, monastery or with environmental conservation.

Orphanage or Monastery Project:
As a volunteer you will work to better the lives of the community through basic renovation and teaching. You will have the opportunity to teach English and conduct creative programs including games, music, art, drawing and painting.

Environmental Conservation:
Or you will be able to work in the village nursery to help with seed collection, sowing, mulching, watering and trimming. The nursery produces seedlings that are later distributed for to the local schools, communities, and villagers for planting in community fields.

Home of the World's Tallest Peak

The Everest region is located in the northeast of Nepal, where the prime attraction is the 8,848 m peak of Mt. Everest in the Sagarmatha National Park, also home to two other ‘eight thousanders’ – Lhotse and Cho Oyu – besides other whoppers above 6,000 m.

Designated a World Heritage Site in 1979, much of the 1,148 sq. km park lies above 3,000 m. The park is made up of rugged terrain with deep gorges, glaciers and huge rocks. The vegetation changing from pine, hemlock, fir, juniper, birch and rhododendron to alpine plants and then onto bare rock and snow. It’s home to the ghoral, tahr, serow and musk deer as well as the impeyan pheasant, blood pheasant, red-billed chough and the yellow-billed chough. Mind blowing.

Trek to the Base Camp of Mt Everest
The trek to Everest Base Camp is without doubt one of the most famous in the world and takes you into the heart of the Himalayan Range, with awe-inspiring views, through lush valleys and Sherpa villages with their Buddhist monasteries and yaks.

From Kathmandu you will fly to Lukla where you will begin your trek, supported by Sherpa’s who are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local terrain.

Your trek takes about 14 days and will include a day in Namche Bazaar, a bustling market town in the heart of Sherpa country, Pheriche, where you’ll visit a cluster of houses set among the high summer grazing pastures of the region, Kala Pattar, the highlight for most, from where you can view the chaotic ice sculptures of the Khumbu Glacier, Nuptse and the south-west face of Everest itself.

But most days will be spent trekking from one remote village to another staying in traditional teahouses, surrounded with breath taking scenery of the snow-capped peaks. Unforgettable.

Accommodation

Tea houses and campsites.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

Kick Start Your Senses

Swap the mountains of Nepal for the smells, sounds and colours of India. It is country that will implode your senses and spark your curiosity as you whizz around in a tuk tuk, eyes on stalks!

Delhi is the extreme and no better place to get to grips with life in the fast lane before you head out to explore exquisite temples, pancake-flat deserts, pine clad forests and crumbling fortresses peering over plunging ravines.

From the towering icy peaks of the northern mountains to the sun-washed beaches of the southern coast, India's dramatic terrain is breathtaking and through the next few weeks you will see the best of India.

Accommodation

Guest houses.

Food

3 meals a day provided.

Starting your journey

Having got to grips with the pace of India you will head off to explore India's famous Golden Triangle - a circuit which connects the capital of Delhi with Agra and Jaipur in Rajasthan.

Agra & the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a testimony to love forever enshrined within a marble mausoleum and recently included as one of the New Seventh Wonders of the World - we promise you it won't disappoint.

Jaipur
Heading over to Jaipur to see the City Palace, elephant ride up to the Amer Fort, and marvel at the Pink City. Heaven.

Teach English to the Monks

Your next phase will take you up to the old colonial Hill Station of Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama.

The primary project work is to teach conversational English and pronunciation to the Tibetan Monks and nuns, who travel from a far for these lessons. This helps the Monks and Nuns to grow culturally, so they can read books from other religions to broaden their thinking.

Mcleod Ganj – Home of the Dalai Lama
There will also be time to explore Mcleod Gang, the residence of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. We will visit the Dalai Lama Temple Complex, also known as “Little Lhasa of Tibet” where the Dalai Lama gives his teachings, and also see the Headquarters of the Tibetan Government in exile. You will also be able to visit other well known sites including Bhagsunag falls and Temple (an important spot of Hindu Pilgrims), and the local markets where you can buy Tibetan handicrafts.

Bir
The small town of Bir is renowned for its eco-tourism and meditation studies. It is located in a beautiful setting in the foothills of the Himalayas surrounded by forests and tea gardens. Bir is the perfect place from which to do some light hikes and is also the paragliding capital of India.

Palaces & Beaches Await

The final leg of your adventure takes you first through the state of Rajasthan, down through India’s second city, Mumbai, before reaching your final destination – Goa with its clear seas, pristine beaches, exquisite cuisine and friendly people - time to chill.

Rajasthan
Explore the majestic forts and lavish palaces, jungles and desert landscapes with camels and snake charmers.

Mumbai
Formally known as Bombay, the city of Mumbai sets the pace for all western India. Admire the Gateway of India Monument, shop in Crawford Market, take a stroll down Marine Drive and do some people-watching at Chowpatty Beach where Fakirs walk on fire and sleep on nails...

Goa
Time to chill on the pristine beaches, explore spice plantations and eat delicious food - Goa is consistently ranked year after year as one of the top tourist destinations in India, simply heaven...don't miss out.